Lee's Second Chance
by Crazyb2000
Summary: What if Lee was given a second chance at his own game. What if he could go back knowing everything that would happen from when he met Clementine to when he died from the bite. This is the story of Lee Everett being sent back to the first day of the outbreak. This is his 'Second Chance'
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

I stared into Clem's eyes as tears flowed down her cheeks. I was filled with sadness that I'd never be able to see her smile again but, within that sadness I felt a glimmer of hope. Hope that she would be able to grow older and live happily with Christa and Omid as her guardians. I just wished that I would've been able to spend more time with her. I wish I could've just been able to just see her off safely.

It was funny to me. I went to such lengths to protect this little girl. I didn't even know her last name, but despite the circumstances she became my daughter. She fulfilled my wish of having a family… Even if my wife was out of the equation, I was still happy to have known the feeling of having a daughter; to pass on knowledge to her, to spend time with her… to cherish her.

I found my voice and said to her with my last breath, "I'll miss you." She stared at me with her large eyes and slowly replied, "Me too…" Clementine stood up holding the gun she grabbed from the dead police officer. I tried my best to smile at her as she raised the gun to my head, but the left half of my face felt paralyzed. Everything started to go black… My vision became blurry and then all I heard was a loud gunshot…

I somehow regained consciousness, _what the hell?_ My mind was abnormally clear… Then again, I didn't know what was normal for being shot in the head. I surveyed my surroundings only to see nothing but complete darkness. I looked down expecting to see my body but instead all I saw was a faint glow where my limbs used to be. I then suddenly heard a voice come from behind me, "Hello."

I turned and yelled, "Who's there!?" I saw a man with chestnut slick back hair standing in a high class tuxedo, smiling at me. He held an empty red wine glass. He lifted the glass to his lips and sipped what appeared to be nothing. _Who the hell is this guy?_ I thought to myself, alarmed at the prospect of him being some kind of angel of death.

"Hmm, I see you have managed to keep your self-awareness." The Smiling man said.

"What are you talking about!? I-is this the afterlife or… something!?" I yelled, still trying to make sense of my situation.

The Smiling man furrowed his eyebrows, "Oh dear, I wouldn't think too much if I were you. I'm afraid your poor little mind won't be able to handle such dear, dear stress."

"J-just who are you?"

"I'm afraid that if I told you that, dear boy, you wouldn't be able to handle it… But to clear your conscience, I am not an 'Angel of death' or 'God'."

I stared at him for a brief moment before asking him the question that had really been on my mind, "What's going on?"

The Smiling man perked up with excitement, "Well, dear boy, you are currently in the area between life and death. But please, don't go asking questions about the afterlife. They do get tiring after hearing them time and time again. And also mention anything about philosophy and I will have to send you straight down to hell!"

I raised an eyebrow, "There's a hell?"

The Smiling man then laughed, "I got you there didn't I! To tell you the truth I don't have any authority to really send you anywhere like that. Nor can I confirm that such a place even exists. I just thought I'd jest with you a little."

_Was that supposed to be funny?_ I thought to myself glaring at him.

He straightened his back and said "You're a strong one."

"Strong?" I replied.

"Yes, you have been able to retain your self-awareness from your mortal life. Most people after death are like zombies… Or "Walkers" if you'd like, seeing as you've become so fond of that name… Seriously though, who thought of walkers?"

"They're dead men walking."

"Yeah… And if human pop-culture confirms anything it's the fact that 'zombies' is the popular title for the reanimated dead."

I tried to push him away from that subject, "Just tell me what's going on."

"You, mortal name 'Lee Everett', are very lucky. I am giving you a second chance." He said waving his finger.

"A… a second chance? At what?"

"Life… starting from Judgement day of course. Don't worry you'll have all the memories you've had from your first try; of you, Clementine, Kenny, Ben and so forth." The Smiling man clicked his fingers and a giant ring appeared around me.

I looked at the Smiling man in shock, "What are you doing!? What do you mean a second chance at life!?"

"Tampering with the natural order of life and death is my job, Mister Everett. I will ask you to prevent as many tragedies as you can. Only then can you truly protect her."

"What the fuck are you talking about!?"

The Smiling man's expression went from smiling happily to frowning in anger, "You really have no idea, do you? Well… You'll know soon enough."

A gust of wind came through the circle and I felt myself being dragged into it. As I was slowly being pulled into the ring he came up to me and leaned over, "Good luck." And with that my whole world went white.


	2. Chapter 1 - A new beginning

CHAPTER 1 – A New Beginning

The sound of a car hitting gravel in the road, an old man humming to himself and other vehicles speeding by… This is what I woke up to. I was lying down in the back seat of a police car, unsure of what had just happened. All I knew is that Clementine shot me and then I found myself talking to a weird enigmatic smiling man who told me he was giving me a second chance?

As I pushed myself up into a seating position, I was filled with shock. I saw a cop driving the car. He wore a beige uniform and had white hair. He was slightly balding and had a large chin. There's no doubt that this was the same police officer who was driving me to prison almost 4 months ago.

I looked outside the window and realized that everything had gone back to the way it was before the Walkers. There were cars all around us being driven by living people. The roads weren't littered with corpses but instead old takeaway boxes and road kill.

_Was that all a dream…_ The prospect of that idea filled me sadness. Despite the horrible situations we were in, and all the lives that were lost I still couldn't help but feel sad. _Some sick and twisted fantasy, huh? _I sighed deeply and placed my hand on my forehead as I was contemplating why I had such a dream, and why it had affected me so deeply. That's when I realized that the cop in front was talking to me, "Hey, you alive back there?"

As I snapped back into reality I realized that he had been staring at me from his rear view mirror, "Oh! Uhh…"

"Hmph." he scoffed, "Y'know it surprises me that a man in your certain predicament can fall asleep so easily. Sometimes I feel like asking some of the people who're up in here if they're able to sleep at night, knowing the things they done." He squinted his eyes, "Well, I guess you just answered that for me."

Slightly dazed I asked him, just to be sure, "W-what date is it today?"

"Date!? Hah, that's a new one."

"Huh?"

"Never had someone pretending to be a time traveller before."

I raised an eyebrow and then stated, "I'm serious."

The police officer frowned, "You must have some real nerve to not know the date of your own incarceration." He then sighs, "But, I can't kid ya, you seem like an alright fella to me. At least you're not like those fuckers who sit back there screaming on about how they 'didn't do anything' or that it was just all some 'big mistake.'"

_This conversation seems familiar, _I thought to myself.

"I did follow up a bit on your case, by the way. Interesting situation you managed to get yourself into. Now, I bet you're wondering why someone like myself is interested in a mess like yours."

I took a brief pause and thought I'd take a wild guess, "You from Macon?"

The police officer widened his eyes and then smiled, "uh… Yeah. How did you know that?"

Trying to think of a quick answer I said, "I've… just seen you around is all." I turned my head and looked out the window, _How could I have known that? Could that dream have been somehow real? _

He looked at me and squinted, "Really? You see I moved up to Atlanta in the 70s and barely visit home nowadays. Chances of you seeing me around are quite low."

I decided to change the subject, "Tough work at the Georgia state patrol?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. This job is very demanding of my skills." He said, triumphantly.

"Skills?" I asked turning my gaze from the window.

"Well you haven't gotten out of this vehicle yet, right?"

"I haven't tri—"

"Yep, I got some unique skills right there!" He stated, interrupting me.

I paused and looked out the window again. The scene was familiar; police cars speeding into the city with their sirens on full blast. Everything had played out like the first time with the minor exception of dialogue.

Suddenly the car hit a bump in the road and I snapped out of my window gazing. "Goddamn it, I hit something… again." The officer said, rolling his eyes.

"Shouldn't you go and check on that?" I asked.

"Nah, it's probably just some animal or something."

Things were **definitely** playing out differently from the first time… _Did what I say to the cop act as some form of 'butterfly effect' to cause the death of whatever we just hit? _Did that mean that every step that I took could change the future negatively? _Should I tell him to watch the road? It might save him… but what if he goes past the walker he's supposed to crash into. I'll never get to Clementine. I'll never be able to save her. _

I decided to stay quiet let the cop carry on talking to himself. After a while I saw a figure shambling in the distance. It was on the road. I knew that, that figure was the same Walker that would soon lead to the officer's death. Even though I had the chance to tell him what was going to happen if he didn't watch the road, I stayed silent. Then he turned to me laughing, taking his eyes off the road, "Can you believe that? He said to me-" the car crashed into the walker and drove off the side of the road into a forest. As the car flew off, I put my hands behind my head and put my knees to my chest; hoping that I could minimize any damage done. I felt something hit the back of my head and I was instantly knocked unconscious.

Time passed and I opened my eyes, it was dark out. I closed them again and when I reopened them I saw daylight. _H-how long have I been in and out? _I thought to myself looking around. I was still stuck in the back of the police car. _Oh shit, my leg! _I quickly checked both my legs to see if there were any wounds but, to my surprise, both my legs were fine.

Without a second thought I looked out the back window to see if the police officer was there. _Of course…_ The motionless corpse of the once chatty police officer was lying there with blood smeared from his body to the car. As I looked at him all I felt was remorse. I could've stopped this… But I didn't. I had to get to her. I had to get to Clementine. I turned my attention to the cracked window in front of me. _I have to stay focussed. _

Without any hesitation I put my foot to the glass four times and shattered it. Bits of debris fell into the vehicle whilst, thankfully, the larger shards of glass fell outwards. I shuffled my way to the opening I made and crawled out. I fell onto the ground and, luckily, didn't cut myself. I pushed myself up and walked slowly around the vehicle until I saw the dead cop. I looked down at my hands, I was still cuffed. I sighed, _I still need to get the keys_. I knew he was going to come back and attack me but, despite knowing that, I still walked over to him.

As I kneeled down to pick the keys up, I felt very nervous. It was like popping a balloon, despite knowing it was going to happen the anticipation was painful. I grabbed the keys and calmly stood up. I was getting ready to unlock the cuffs when I heard a slow, long exhaling. I looked at the cop's face; his features started to twitch, and his eyes began to flutter open. _Oh shit, I spent too long trying to get the keys that he's already started to—_

The cop suddenly reached up and grabbed my arm. I was still cuffed. I kicked him but to no avail, he was grabbing onto me as if his unlife depended on it. I pulled my arm back, quick and fast, and was able to get free, but I then lost my balance and fell. The cop started to drag himself along the grass, _His legs are broken from the crash! _I brought my foot back and then pushed it down onto his head. He then grabbed my leg, trying to pull it off, _this'll hopefully keep him at bay long enough for me to get these cuffs off. _

I was able to free my hands but I now needed a way to kill him. I looked over to a shotgun that was lying nearby, _I wanted to avoid using this but I guess I have no choice. _The noise for sure would've brought more Walkers but time was a factor here. I took my foot off of the cop's head and grabbed the supposedly empty shotgun and checked for any ammunition lying around. I couldn't see anything and the cop started drag himself closer, _Ah fuck this! _I aimed the shotgun at the cop's head and pulled the trigger. His face exploded into a shower of gore; bits of brain and skull littered the area around me.

_Fuck…_ I was panting as I felt the adrenaline rush through my body. Luckily for me, the gun was already loaded when I picked it up. I threw the it down and stood up. I stayed still for a brief moment listening, until, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her.

Up on the hill, there was a short figure standing there watching. It was Clementine. It had to be. Despite her being a silhouette I was able to recognize her. I was about to call out to her when she suddenly started backing away and then disappeared behind the hill. That's when I heard a rustling in the bushes, _Walkers! _I ran up the hill, watching my footing making sure that I didn't fall over, and reached a fence. I took a quick look behind me and found that they were closer than I thought. I quickly climbed over the fence and hit the ground on the other side.

The fence was creaking and squeaking, the sound of Walkers banging against it filled my ears. However, before they could break the fence down they were drawn away by the sound of gunfire. I looked around and knew straight away that I was in Clementine's back yard. I then turned to a large tree. It had a makeshift ladder and a wooden platform and box at the top. It was a tree house, Clementine's tree house. From what happened the first time, I knew that she'd be up there, so I walked up to it.

I stared at the door for a few seconds before opening my mouth to speak, "Hello? You up there?" I didn't receive a response. I looked around my environment making sure that there was nothing else dangerous that could jump me. I figured I was safe, for the time being, so I yelled up at the tree house again.

"Don't worry, I'm not a bad guy… So uhh… don't drop a hammer down on my head, okay?"

I heard a slight gasp come from inside the tree house and then a loud thunk. _Was she really getting ready to drop the hammer? _Clementine slowly opened the door and crawled out. She looked afraid. I raised my hands and spoke to her calmly, "Don't worry, like I said I'm not a bad guy. My name's Lee."

Clementine was hesitant to say anything. She took a brief pause and then asked, "D-do you know what happened to Sandra?"

"Sandra?" _That was the name of her baby sitter. The one that attacked me, _"Oh… Sandra didn't make it."

Clementine looked down but then nodded slightly, "I-I know… I heard her screaming two nights ago… I think the monsters got her…"

"So you've seen them then?" I asked her.

"Yeah… I saw one of my neighbours get eaten. Th-then they came back… but different."

I looked over to the back door of Clementine's house and then looked back to her, "Yeah. Right now Sandra's in there. She's... also a monster."

Clementine climbed down from her tree house, she was surprisingly trusting even though in her eyes this is the first time we've met. Clementine, stared at me with a slightly curious expression and then asked, "Do I know you?"

My heart skipped. For a split second my heart stopped and after that all I felt was a pain in my chest. A part of me still thought that she'd remember who I was. Remember all the time we spent together. I couldn't help but feel sad when she asked me that question. My mind went blank and I fell to my knees. I felt overwhelmed. The lump in my throat was unbearable. I tilted my head downwards.

Clementine walked up to me and put her hand on my head, "There, there. It's okay. Don't cry."

I slowly looked up at her, I could tell that she was still afraid of me, but I could also tell that she felt I was trustworthy. I calmed down and smiled at her, "What's your name?"

She looked at me with a slightly warmer expression and said softly, "Clementine."

"How old are you?"

"Eight."

"Where are your parents? They left you with a babysitter."

"I think they said they're in Savannah."

"You've been all alone until now?"

"Yeah." She looked down slightly.

I sighed in acknowledgement. _It's the same situation as before. Her parents are in Savannah and she was left with a baby sitter. _

"Look, I think our best chances of survival are sticking together. I can… look after you, until we find your parents, okay?"

Clementine nodded slowly and then I stood back up. She looked up at me, "What should we do now?"

I raised an eyebrow looking around our environment and then looked back at her, "Let's look for help before it gets dark."

"Y-yeah… It's dangerous at night." Clementine grabbed my hand before I could give it to her. _She asked, 'Do I know you'. Does that mean that shoe __**does**__ remember? Or am I getting my hopes up? _

We walked over to the gate leading out of the backyard and onto the street. I then looked down at her and asked, "Are you ready?"

She looked up at me somewhat nervous, "Umm…" She then looked back at her house.

I reassured her, "Don't worry, I promise I won't leave you alone."

She then smiled, "Okay…"

"Now, let's see if we can get to somewhere safe that's close, okay?"

"Okay." She smiled again, "That's what I was thinking."

We opened the gate and left.


	3. Chapter 2 - Reunion (Part 1)

**CHAPTER 2 – Reunion**

The car shook as we drove down the dirt path to Hershel's farm. I looked at Clementine and she seemed calm given her situation, then again she's always been like that. I smiled at her and she smiled back.

So far not much had changed, but I was still being very careful about what I said and what I did. Thankfully I was able to remember a lot of what happened during those first few weeks but I was fearful of what'd happen if I said or did something wrong. Things wouldn't start to get really bad until we got to my parents old drugstore.

But despite my worrying, I still had Clementine, and that's all I truly cared about. As long as she was happy, I was too. But I still couldn't bare knowing what happened to her parents. Before the bite made me draw my last breath, Clementine saw her mom and dad as Walkers. It was horrible.

The car pulled up right next to a large house with a barn located next to it. This was Hershel's farm, the place where we met Kenny and his family. We all got out of the car and Chet began stretching. He looked over to Shawn, "Hey Shawn? I'm 'a run on home. My momma's gonna be a in a snit."

Shawn shrugged and smiled, "No sweat, man. I'll catch you tomorrow night."

Chet looked over to both me and Clem, "It was nice to ya both."

I waved as Chet walked out back onto the dirt path we came in on. Clem walked up to me and grabbed my hand, she seemed slightly nervous. "You okay?" I asked softly.

"Yeah…" She replied, looking at Chet walk down the road.

We turned and walked around the car to the other side. We saw Shawn talk to an older man with a similar height and build as him. This man was Hershel Greene, his dad. The first time we were here, Hershel kicked us out prematurely when his son was attacked and killed by Walkers. The situation at the time was insane; Kenny's son, Duck, was being pulled away by Walkers and the tractor he was sitting on was on top of Shawn's leg. The choice came down to saving him or Duck. Duck got out safely but Shawn died and Hershel lost it. But now that I know what's going to happen I may have a chance to stop it. If Duck doesn't sit on the tractor, he won't accidently drive over Shawn's leg…

"I see you brought a couple of guests." Hershel looked at me with his right brow raised.

I should stay cool and repeat what I said the first time, "Your boy is a life saver."

"Glad he could be of help to somebody." Hershel said, putting his hands on his hips. "So, it's just you and your daughter then?"

"Oh, not his daughter" Shawn interrupted, "He's … well… just some guy who found her alone."

Hershel, somewhat alarmed, kneeled down and looked at Clementine, "Honey, do you know this man?"

Clementine said, without any hesitation, "Yeah, he's Lee."

That's different, I thought to myself. I looked over at Hershel who let out a brief sigh, "Okay then." He looked at me said, "Well if you want, you could stay here for the night, doesn't look like you'll be going anywhere at this hour."

I nodded my head at him "Thanks, that'd be—"

He then interrupted, "Just for the night though. I'm not runnin' a hotel for displaced families. I expect you and our other guests to be on your way tomorrow."

"Oh… Uhh… Okay."

Hershel then asked Clementine, "What's your name, Darlin'?"

Clementine hesitated but then told him, "Clem… Clementine."

"Nice to meet you Clementine, I'm Hershel." Hershel then looked at me, "Hershel Greene."

Hershel seemed very suspicious of me. He looked at my blood-stained shirt and wrinkled his nose, "You okay there?"

"Yeah," I said, "It's not mine… The blood that is."

"Whose is it then?"

"A co—" Wait a minute, if I tell him it's a cop's blood won't that just make matters worse?

"A co? What's that?"

"Oh uhh…"

Hershel frowned at me, "Don't worry, I'm aware of the situation in the cities. Whatever you did, you can forget about telling me. I don't really want to know."

"Okay…"

Hershel shrugged, "Well, you better tuck in for the night. I'll be in the house if you need anything."

I nodded in acknowledgement and walked off to the barn with Clem. Once inside we put our blankets and pillows out and lay down. Clem's eyes started to close until she noticed the smell. She opened her mouth to talk but I knew what she was going to say.

"Manure" I said, before she could say anything.

"Manure?" She asked, looking at me.

"Yep."

"What's that?"

"It's what this place smells of."

Clementine nodded her head, with a somewhat confused expression, and closed her eyes again. I looked at the ceiling idly as I began counting sheep. "I miss my mom and dad." Clementine said sounding slightly tired.

"I bet, Clem."

"How far is Savannah?"

"Pretty far…"

"Oh… Okay…"

Before I knew it, Clem was sleeping like an angel. I closed my eyes with a clear conscience. I was able to get Clementine and keep her safe. Everything was playing out like I wanted it to so far, but soon I'd have to deal with Hershel's son, Shawn. I have to think of a way to save him. This way I can test if I'm able to challenge fate and win. All I need to do is stop Duck from getting on the tractor. Or at least stop the tractor from moving onto Shawn's leg…

I drifted off to sleep, thinking about the Mysterious smiling man… Should I pursue who he is? Then again how could I? He somehow turned back time and was able to give me a second chance. I doubt someone with that amount of power probably would be in the phone book.

I fell asleep, and started dreaming about my last moments with Clementine. The relief I felt when I saved her from that psychopath. The sadness I felt when she said goodbye. It's odd that she's more trusting towards me than before. Maybe a part of her does remember our time spent together… Of course clutching at straws wouldn't get me anywhere.

That was when I heard the Smiling man's voice, "Having splendid dreams, Mister Everett?" I was startled. I opened my eyes and found myself still in the barn. I tried moving but was completely paralyzed. I tried speaking but my lips were numb. "Don't worry, I shan't keep you long. Just wanted to congratulate you on the fine job you're doing. Most people would've had some sort of breakdown by now but you… you are one of the stronger ones out there aren't you? You're will is very, very powerful."

I looked around the room but still saw no sign of him. "I know that you have many questions and I will answer a lot them in due course, dear boy, but in the meantime sit tight… and rest easy."

I was suddenly able to move again and jumped up. I ran over to the barn door and slid it open. It was pitch black outside and there was no sign of any human life other than the large house that stood to my right. I closed the door and walked back to my 'bed', pinching the area in-between my eyes. I lay back down and stared at the ceiling. Suddenly I felt a small hand hold mine.

I looked over to Clementine; she was lying there holding my hand. Her eyes were teary, "Please… Don't go…"

"Clem—?" I said, puzzled.

"Please… Don't leave me again." She said with a whimper. She closed her eyes again and fell asleep, holding my hand tightly.

She... She remembers!? I turned my head away and kept my eyes wide open. I was filled with partial shock. So many thoughts went through my mind… There was no way I was going back to sleep that night.


	4. Chapter 2 - Reunion (Part 2)

CHAPTER 2 – Reunion

**Part 2**

In the morning, I heard someone climb down the ladder from the upper levels of the barn. I closed my eyes, quickly. _Would look kind of weird to see a man lying down with his eyes open, _I thought to myself. I still felt Clem's hand holding onto mine. As thoughts about Clementine, the Smiling man and this whole situation started rushing through my head, I heard a familiar and friendly voice, "Hey, get up."

I suddenly felt Clementine's hand pull away from mine and my eyes shot open. I looked up to see a man in a T-shirt and cap, he was around average height and build, and he had a very distinctive moustache. I knew who it was straight away, _Kenny_. As I stood up I looked over to Clementine, who was scratching her arms, "I'm itchy."

"Well you slept in a barn, little lady. Lucky you don't have spiders in your hair." Kenny said with a wide smile.

Clementine gasped and looked up at her hair. Kenny then turned to me, "But I bet your _daddy_ scared 'em all away, huh?"

I stared at Kenny, it surprised me to see him looking so cheerful, _it feels like only moments ago that he and Ben…_ I held that thought when I saw Kenny raise an eyebrow at my silence, "Oh uhh… Yeah. I'm not her dad. Name's Lee."

Kenny shrugged slightly but then smiled again, "I'm Kenny."

Suddenly, at the barn door, a young boy popped his head in and said, excitedly, "Dad! We're gonna build a fence! There's a tractor and everything!" The boy then ran off.

"We better get going or we won't hear the end of it." Kenny sighed. We all walked outside the barn. I looked down at Clementine, she was holding my hand again, tightly.

"That's my boy, Ken Junior. We call him Duck though." Kenny said.

I couldn't help but think back to when Kenny lost his son and wife after leaving the Motor Inn. He was a wreck after losing them and became a completely different man; one without a true and honest reason for living. _But now I have the chance to save Kenny from the pain of losing his wife and kid_. I kept on thinking about what I could change as we walked up to Hershel's house. Kenny stopped and turned to me, "So, I heard that you were on your way to Macon."

"Yeah…" _Wait, I haven't told anyone I'm from Macon, have I? _

"Well Macon's on the way and, personally, I'd appreciate the company of a guy who can knock a couple of heads together if he has to." Kenny said.

I looked at Clementine. I was still trying to find the right time to talk to her privately. _I guess I better wait until I've met Kenny's family to talk to her about what happened last night. I know I'm getting my hopes up but if she does remember then... _My head was starting to hurt from all the thoughts I was having about saving Shawn and Duck, keeping Clem safe and if she remembered our time together. _If she does remember then wouldn't she remember having to shoot me and having to see her parents as Walkers? _

"Are… you okay?" Kenny asked frowning at me.

I grabbed my head, "I-I'm fine thanks. It's just a bit of a shock, y'know? Everything that's happened."

"I hear ya." Kenny said, nodding.

"Ken, aren't you going to introduce us?" A middle-aged woman with blonde hair was looking up at him. It was Kenny's wife, Katjaa.

"Oh right. Honey, Duck this is Lee and uhh… what's the girl's name?"

"Clementine." I said as I looked over to Clem. Oddly enough she was hiding behind me. _If she doesn't remember Duck and Katjaa... Shit, I have to stop thinking about this. I'll ask her when I get the time but right now I need to focus. If I do or say anything wrong, the whole future might change and then I won't know what'll happen next. _

Kenny repeated her name, "Clementine."

Katjaa leaned in slightly, "That is a very pretty name." she said, smiling at Clem.

"Thanks." Clem said, smiling meekly.

Shawn walked up to us, "Well, we should get to work. We've all seen what those things can do out there so the faster we get this fence up, the better."

Duck looked at his mom with a big grin, "I want to build a fence!"

"Yeah? Well-" I interrupted Shawn.

"Uhh… Shawn, can I talk to you in private for a second?" I turned to Clem, "I'm sorry, could you stay here with Katjaa for a bit? I won't be a minute"

Clementine nodded as I walked away with Shawn. Me and Shawn stood next to the fence he was working on to keep the Walkers out. "Okay Lee, so what did you want to talk about? If it's about my dad I-"

"No. Nothing like that."

"Okay… So what's this about?"

_Shit, how am I supposed to say, 'a kid is going to drive over you with a tractor, and then you'll get eaten' without sounding like a crazy person. Fuck… I guess I better sound like a crazy person._ I nodded towards the tractor, "Don't put Duck on the tractor."

"Erm… What?"

"Just hear what I'm saying; putting a kid on a tractor like that isn't safe. With all those things out there, the last thing you need is a big weight on your leg and a load of noise."

Shawn looked at me, confused, "Erm… Okay, Lee… Sure…"

"Take what I'm saying seriously!" I said, slightly angry.

"Don't worry Lee. I will. Just take it easy okay? You look tired." Shawn walked over to an area of the fence and started working on it again.

I walked back to Kenny and his family. Duck was standing next to Kenny as he looked over his pickup truck and Clementine was sitting next to Katjaa on a hay stack. _I guess what I did, __**did**__ work in the end. I was able to stop Shawn from getting Duck to help him with the fence. Even though I sounded crazy back then, I may have just saved his life. _

I walked over to Clem and Katjaa, "Hey, girls."

"Hello, Lee." Katjaa gave me a warm smile.

I kneeled down and spoke to Clem, "Clem, do you remember anything from last night?"

Clem looked at me, puzzled, "Last night?"

"Yeah. Do you remember me getting up? Maybe you heard an unfamiliar man's voice?"

"Not really… I-I was asleep." Clem said, sounding uneasy.

I looked to the ground and felt a bit let down. _Was it my imagination then? I suppose it's for the best. After all, those painful memories would've been awful for her to endure. But then why did she say those things last night? Why was she crying? _

I stood up, "Well, okay then. Sorry to have bothered you…"

"Is anything wrong?" Katjaa looked at me.

"No, It's nothing…" I smiled, "You enjoy yourselves, okay?"

Clem looked at me apologetically, "Okay."

I walked away as I tried to collect myself. _I have to get a hold of myself… I feel barely alive… My whole world has gone completely insane. As if the first time round wasn't hard enough, now I'm responsible for everything that happens, every person who gets hurt…_Whilst deep in thought I felt something tug the back of my shirt.

"Lee…" Clementine was standing behind me looking sad.

"What's wrong, Clem?"

"I'm sorry…"

"You're sorry?" Clementine suddenly hugged me tightly, "C-Clementine? What's wrong?"

"I remember!" She said as her voice started to crack. "M-my parents… You… I remember everything!"

I took her by the shoulders and looked at her face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. I wiped them away, "It's okay… Sweet pea. I'm here now. It's okay. I'm okay."

"Please, don't leave me again! Please don't get bitten!" she yelled out embracing me yet again.

"I won't, don't worry. I won't get bitten." I hugged her back as she cried into my shoulder.

"Y-you don't know that."

"No Clem… I do."

_She's been suffering for this long without telling anybody? The emotional trauma of losing her parents and then me must've been a lot for her. For anyone to last this long with those feelings held inside… Clem must really be strong willed._


	5. Chapter 3 - A new player (Part 1)

Chapter 3 – A new player

**Part 1**

I looked over to Clementine in the back of Kenny's pickup. She was sitting there silently, looking out the window as we drove into Macon. We left Hershel's farm soon after Clem told me that she remembered everything. It still kind of shocked me that she remembered, but I was happy that she did. I knew that Clem had become stronger during all that time we spent together, maybe not physically but mentally. Clem noticed me looking at her and smiled at me.

Kenny raised an eyebrow at me and Clem, "You two seem to be awfully close considering you have no relation to one another."

I looked at Kenny, surprised by his question. When we first drove to Macon we were all sitting in silence, probably to mourn Shawn's death… Or to deal with the guilt of not being able to save him. But things were different now. Shawn was alive and well back at Hershel's. He and his dad saw us off happily. It felt weird, though. I'd seen him die a gruesome death before, but I was able to stop it. _If I can stop Shawn's death then maybe I can save everyone else too. But I still have to be careful. For now I'll just play along as much as I can. _

"We've been through a lot." I said in reply to Kenny.

"How long you two known each other?"

"…A while… Why are you asking?"

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not trying to imply anything… if that's what you think I'm doing. I was just curious is all. You… just seem to be good with her." Kenny said, smiling.

_Kenny never said that to me before. I remember him asking me if I would be able to handle taking care of Clementine alone, the first time. _

"Lee's like my daddy." Clem said to Kenny.

Kenny looked at Clem, surprised by what she said. He then took a look at me and then smiled and shook his head, "Well, you seem like a good guy Lee. She's lucky to have you."

I too was surprised by what Clementine said, _but I guess I'm the closest thing she has to a dad now. _Seeing as she'd remembered everything from before, she must've also known that her parents were dead. "Thanks, Kenny." I said, nodding at him.

The pickup began slowing to a halt as the fuel gauge went down, "Well, this is far as we're goin'." Kenny sighed.

"Then it's far enough." I said, opening the door.

We all got out the vehicle and stood next to it, getting ourselves together. Kenny and his family started walking down the road and then stopped to wait for me and Clementine. I looked down at her as she stared at the drugstore down the street, "You ready, Sweat Pea?" I asked, putting my hand out.

She grabbed my hand and nodded, "Uh huh."

We all slowly walked down the street surveying our surroundings. I could tell that Clementine felt uneasy walking down here. _I don't blame her. This is where it all started. Lilly, Larry, the Drugstore, everything. _Clementine looked up at me, "Lee?"

"Yeah?" I replied.

"Should we err…"

"Should we what?"

Clementine, with her right hand, mimed a snipping motion around her hair. _Is she talking about another haircut? _I raised an eyebrow at her and she slowly nodded.

"What? Not liking your old haircut?" I said, grinning slightly.

Clementine shook her head, "No," she smiled up at me, "I was getting used to my new one."

"Well, Sweat Pea, we'll see when we get ti-" I cut myself off as I saw Duck stand next to the drugstore's doors.

"Look!" Duck said, pointing towards a kneeling figure down the road.

Kenny walked over to Duck and waved over to the figure, "Hey ther-"

"Ken." I said sternly. He glanced over to me and I shook my head.

Kenny looked back at the figure and leaned slightly to his left. He saw that the figure was eating something that looked like a flimsy tube. He knew what it was straight away. "Oh shit…" He said under his breath.

I said, in a hushed voice, "We should slowly back away; we don't want to make any noise."

"Okay… Where do we go?" Kenny replied, also whispering.

Suddenly I heard a loud gargling noise.

"Fuck!" Kenny yelled as he jumped back.

I looked over to a fallen lamppost and saw my brother with his legs trapped underneath. He yelled and growled whilst reaching for us. It affected me slightly seeing him in that state again but I had no time to be upset. The figure that was eating in the distance turned his head towards us and let out a low pitched groan. All around us Walkers came out from every alleyway and every road. _It was dead quiet when we got here, it seems that even the smallest amount of noise would've attracted their attention. _

Clementine grabbed hold of my shirt as I shielded her with my arm. Katjaa was slowly backing away with Kenny. I looked over to Duck who had a Walker closing in on him, "Kenny, Duck!" I yelled, looking at Kenny.

"Duck!?" Kenny yelled back staring at me.

"Duck!" I nodded towards his son.

Kenny turned his head to his son's location and glared at the Walker that was closing in, "You son of a bitch!" He yelled running towards it. Kenny made a fist and punched the Walker in the face. The Walker then bounced back and grabbed his arm, trying to bite it. Suddenly the top of its head burst as a loud gunshot was fired. Its blood sprayed all over Kenny's face and chest. He then ran over to Duck and grabbed him. Katjaa went up to see if Kenny and Duck were alright when suddenly a woman wearing a white shirt and black skirt ran up to them with a gun, _Carley_. She turned to face the Walkers and fired blindly.

"Run!" A voice from behind us called out. I turned to see a young man wearing a cap and jacket standing next to the gate to my parent's drugstore. He gestured towards the door. We all ran in with Carley. The young man shut the gate, put a padlock on it and then followed us inside.

Carley slammed the door closed as a man wearing a green t-shirt, Doug, was looking outside the window next to it. Me, Clem, Kenny and his family all stood together, _Duck isn't covered in blood like before. Maybe Larry won't make any accusations. _A woman in a black tank top, Lilly, glared at us and then turned her attention to Carley, "We can't take risks like this."

"And we can't let people die, either" Carley said to Lilly.

"When I say 'that door stays shut no matter what' I fucking mean it." Lilly glanced over to us, "We don't know who these people are; they could be dangerous!"

I frowned and crossed my arms, _not this shit again. I almost forgot how belligerent she was. _

"Worse, they could've led them right to us!" An older man said, looking at Lilly. He was her dad, Larry.

Carley turned to Larry, "Where the hell is your humanity!? They would've died out there!"

Larry looked at me, "Then we let 'em!"

_Larry. I almost forgot how much of a pain in the ass he was. I'm not going to sit through this shit again… Wait, wait I need to keep my cool… _

The young man in the cap, Glenn, pleaded with Lilly, "They've got kids, Lilly"

Lilly narrowed her eyes at Glenn, "Those things outside don't care."

Kenny scowled at her, "Maybe you should join 'em, then. You'll have something in common!"

Larry yelled her, "Goddamn it, Lilly! You have to control these people."

Lilly looked at her dad, "Carley and Glenn just ran out there!"

I glared at both of them and opened my mouth, without thinking, "Calm down, would you? I know you're the leader and you're trying to protect your people but you're overreacting."

"If you were in my shoes you'd be th-"

Larry stared at Kenny and widened his eyes, "Holy shit." He then turned to the rest of the group, "Son of a bitch, one of them is bitten!"

"What?" I said staring at him is disbelief; _Duck doesn't have any blood on him. Why would he think he was…_

Larry walked up to Kenny, "We have to end this, now."

I took a good look at Kenny, he was covered in blood from when Carley saved him from the Walker. _Holy shit! Larry thinks that __**Kenny**__ is bitten!?_


	6. Chapter 3 - A new player (Part 2)

Chapter 3 – A new player Part 2

"What are you talking about?" Kenny said, glaring at Larry.

"You're bitten! And that means you're as good as dead!" Larry yelled in Kenny's face.

"That's ridiculous. I wasn't bitten. And even if I was, how does that make me 'as good as dead'?"

"It's how you turn!"

"What?"

"When you're bit, you turn into one of those things outside. Then anyone else who gets bitten also turns."

Kenny grinded his teeth, "Well good thing I'm not bitten then."

"The hell you aren't. We're gonna have to deal with you, right now." Larry looked over to Carley, "Give me your gun."

Carley stared at Larry, "No way. You need to the chill the fuck out!"

"I'll 'chill' when the threat is gone." Larry said, turning to Kenny.

"You wanna fight? Is that it? 'cause I will fight you here and now, old man." Kenny yelled at Larry.

"Oh yeah?" Larry cracked his knuckles.

My mind went blank with rage. _It's bad enough that he accused Duck of getting bit but now Kenny? _I couldn't keep my cool any longer. I walked up to Larry, "He was not bitten!"

"Oh, so you wanna fight too, huh? I'll take on you homos any day of the week."

"I don't want to fight, but I will not idly stand by as you try to kill my friend. If you want to kill him, then you're just going to have to go ahead and kill me too, mother fucker!"

He sneered at me. I tried to calm myself down and clenched my fist. I looked at the rest of the group, "We're all in this together now! Whether we like it or not. Randomly accusing people of getting bit won't help anybody!"

Larry looked at my hand and then made a fist, "Hmmph… looks to me like you **do** want to fight."

"Maybe you should think before you act, Larry, because if you keep acting like this then it's not just me and Kenny you're going to have to deal with in the future. You're going to eventually end up having everyone hating you, even your daughter. You'll be alienated before you know it. You're not a good dad, you're a-"

I widened my eyes as Larry raised his fist. He was about to punch me, Oh shit! I ducked down as he hit the wall behind me. His face showed that he was somewhat pained but he then raised his knee and kicked me in the stomach.

"Lee!" Clem yelled, running over to me.

"Asshole!" He yelled at me as I was trying to get back up. "Y-you think that **I'm** the fucking bad guy, huh? Well, I'm not the one who… who…"

Larry's pained expression intensified as he suddenly grabbed onto his chest and yelled out. He fell to the ground and Lilly ran over to him, "Dad!"

Kenny looked at Larry, slightly shocked, "W-what's wrong with him!?"

"He has a heart condition!" Lilly said, glaring at me.

"M-my pills." Larry, groaned.

Katjaa looked at Larry, slightly panicked, "uh um… Nitro-glycerine pills?"

Lilly stood up "Yes, we're out. We've been trying to get into the pharmacy since we got here! Please try to get in there! Behind the counter, where the pills are!"

I took a deep breath and calmed myself down, "Okay," I said, with my arm still pressed up against my stomach, "Let me handle that. I know how to get back there."

Lilly nodded at me and didn't think to ask me how I knew, "Thank you… I-I'll keep an eye on my dad." She gave Larry her shoulder and they walked over to a well-lit corner of the shop. She sat him down against a wall and tried to calm him.

Kenny walked over to the group, "Everyone else should get comfy and look for anything useful. We could be in here a while."

Glenn walked over to me, looking at Kenny, "Yeah, well, I don't think this drugstore is a permanent solution."

Kenny nodded and sighed, "You're right, this place ain't exactly Ft. Knox."

I asked Glenn, "What do you suggest?"

"We need as much gas as possible so we can _all _get out of downtown Macon. Fast." Glenn replied.

I nodded my head, "Agreed."

"Then I'll head out and get gas. There's a motel not too far from here, out towards the end of Peachtree. I'll work my way towards it and then loop back, siphoning what I can."

"That'd be great."

"Well, it's gotta get done. Plus, I'm quick and I know Macon." Glenn smirked.

"Local?"

"Born and raised."

"If you're gonna do that, here's a wal-" I searched myself for the Walkie-Talkie that connected to Clem's. To my dismay, I didn't find anything on me. That's when I remembered, _Shit. I never went into Clementine's house to get the Walkie-Talkie. She has the only one now. I know that Glenn will go to the motel, get attacked by Walkers and then hide in an ice machine. The first time round, though, he was able to radio us so that me and Carley could save him, but seeing as I don't have the radio… I'll just have to send Carley with him. _

Glenn raised his left eyebrow at me, "A what?"

"Nothing, you might not want to go alone." I turned to Carley, "Carley, right?"

"Yeah." Carley replied.

"You're a good shot, you think you could go with Glenn and cover him?"

"Sure."

Glenn raised his eyebrows, "Wait, I think it'd be better if I went alone. I'll be fi-"

"We can't be too sure." I said to him. "There's hundreds of them out there, and one of them nearly grabbed that boy over there." I said pointing at Duck.

"Well… maybe… he's just… slow?" Glenn said, sounding like he wasn't even entirely sure of what he was trying to say.

I stared at him for a minute and then crossed my arms. Glenn rolled his eyes, "Okay." He looked at Carley, "Let's go."

Kenny then continued, "What's your name?" He asked looking at Lilly.

"It's Lilly. My dad's Larry." Lilly replied glancing over.

"Keep a good eye on him. These boys will work on getting you your medicine." Kenny turned his attention to Doug, "And you, you keep an eye on that front door. You're our look-out."

"It's Doug, you got it."

Kenny turned to me. "Now, let's see if we can get him those pills."

Some time passed from when Glenn and Carley left for the Motor Inn. Larry had calmed down… somewhat and Kenny was still cleaning himself. After gathering some things from the store shelves, batteries and energy bars, I walked over to Clementine, "Hey, Clem."

Clem smiled at me, "Hey, Lee."

"You… err… want to have a talk in private?"

"Okay… Is it about my Walkie?"

"Er… no, I don't think we need to worry about that right now. It's about something else."

"Okay."

We headed into the office. Once inside, I knelt down to Clem's height, "So, Clem. You remember _everything_, right?"

Clementine looked down and nodded her head. "Yeah…"

"Do… you remember what happened to Duck?"

"Mhm." Clem hummed, still looking down.

"Look, Sweat Pea. Don't feel sad. I don't know how or why, but we've been given a chance. A chance to save everyone."

She looked at me, somewhat hopeful, "Everyone?"

"Yeah. We know what's gonna happen to everyone and when it happens right?

"Yeah."

"Then that means we can stop those sad things from happening."

She shook her head, "But even if we do save them, what's stopping them getting hurt anyway?"

I raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Even if we save someone, how do we know that they won't die some other way?"

_I never thought about that before. Not properly. I guess I didn't really want to. I remember everything and have a chance to stop people dying but, after I save them uncertainty will kick in. Someone may die and I won't know how to stop it_. I put my hands on Clem's shoulders, "Look, we may not be able to stop everyone from dying, but we can try and give them another chance."

Clem nodded her head again but this time smiled a little, "Okay."

"Now in order to pull this off we're going to need to work together. We're still a team aren't we?"

Clem smiled and looked somewhat excited, "Yeah," she then continued, "So what should we do?"

"Well, as soon as we get Larry his pills, Walkers will attack the store. Everyone apart from Carley, Doug, me and you will get out straight away. Carley and Doug will get caught by Walkers."

"Yeah I remember, Doug was being pulled out of a window and Carley needed to get to her purse."

"That's right. In order to save them both we need to work together. When the time comes, I'll go and help Doug, and you give Carley her purse. That way, both of them should survive. Now I know what I'm asking from you i-"

Clementine smiled and interrupted me, "I'll do it."

I stared at her for a brief moment, "A-are you sure? I don't want to put you into any more danger than necessary."

"I'll do it."

I smiled back at her, _I knew she'd be brave enough. But when the time time comes and there's chaos everywhere, will she be able to pull it off? What am I thinking, of course she will. _"Okay, then. Let's go back into the shop now. When Carley and Glenn get back we can get ready-"

Suddenly we heard a slamming from the door to the back alley outside the drugstore, "Stay back, Clem."

Then we heard Glenn's voice and I sighed in relief, "Hey guys? It's me. Could you, by any chance, un-barricade the door?"

I moved a bookcase that was in front of the door, out of the way. The door opened then Carley and Glenn came in. They both looked worn out and slightly tired. Carley also seemed a bit agitated. I narrowed my eyes, unsure of what had happened to them, "Welcome back…" I trailed off as I saw an unfamiliar man walk out from behind them. He wore a red T-shirt and green shorts. His hair was red and he had a squiggly little goatee. He was also holding a bloody axe.

"Hey bro, what's up?" he said in a cheery voice.

My eyes widened. I was shocked. _I've never seen this man before. Who the hell is he? How come he's here!? _I continued staring at him as my mind went all over the place. Clementine hid behind me, also unsure of what was going on.

"Hey, dude I'm not some weirdo, 'kay? These guys came and rescued me." He then looked at Carley and grinned. She glared at him and he then opened his mouth, "This guy, Lee?"

Carley blew some hair out of her face, "Yeah." She said sternly. She then looked at me, "See you back in the shop." She and Glenn walked inside the store as the stranger looked at me and smiled.

I raised an eyebrow, "Who are you?"

"Name's Ruscoe. I'm 20 and have been for the past 13 months."

I stared at him and then said, "So you're 21 then."

"Yeah, dude!" He then looked at Clementine, "And who's this cute little girl?" he said, still with a cheery tone to his voice.

Clementine looked to her left, "umm…"

"Clementine." I answered for her, shielding her with my arm.

Ruscoe looked back at me, "Hey, don't harsh out dude. I'm not suspicious or anything. I'm a cool kinda guy… Now, I should probably meet the rest of your group and then find something to eat. Man, I'm starved."

_This guy is dangerous. Just his presence alone has completely thrown me. How did he even get here? This is nothing __**I**__ could've caused… But I think I do know who might've had something to do with this; The Smiling Man._


	7. Chapter 4 - Besieged (Part 1)

CHAPTER 4 - Besieged

**Part 1**

Doug and I were crouching behind the gate. Doug assured me that were safe here but even so, I felt nervous as hell. _I will never get used to Walkers for as long as I live. Which I hope will be longer than last time_. After being brought back to the first day of 'Judgement day' as the Smiling man referred to it as, I thought I'd be able to know and stop all of the tragic events that would happen, but I never thought that someone else would join our group.

A little earlier, a young man named Ruscoe joined us. He wasn't here the first time but Carley and Glenn somehow found and rescued him. After he introduced himself and left the office, I didn't think to go and talk to him. I thought it'd be for the best to just keep on going until we get to the Motor Inn. Despite the events that would take place there, I knew that it would relatively safe for the next three months.

I looked at my brother, who was across the street, "That guy over there has the keys."

Doug squinted at me, "How can you be sure?"

I reached into my back pocket and pulled out a ripped photograph of my family. I found it in the office a little earlier and ripped myself out of the picture. I knew that no good would come from hiding my past from everyone but I still had to wait for them to trust me enough before I could even hint at my identity. I showed the photo to Doug, "I found this in the office. That boy in the photo worked here. The keys being on him, is as good a bet as we can make."

"Yeah, I agree… We just need to figure out how to get out there and get them. You wouldn't need long right?"

"No."

"Hmm… Maybe there's a way to distract them and buy you some time."

"Here." I handed him the universal remote my dad used for the TV in the office. I picked it up after Ruscoe left the room. "You can use this to turn on those TVs over there, right?" I said pointing at an electronic goods store. The window was filled with rows of TVs.

"Is it universal?" Doug asked.

"Yeah."

Doug took the remote from my hands and started to tinker with it, "Okay, let me try it. I _did_ memorize all the codes when I was in AV… Let's just hope that the power is still on." Doug pointed the remote at the TVs and managed to turn them on.

Despite already knowing he could do this, I was still pretty impressed, "Well fucking done, Doug."

"Heh, glad to be service." Doug said, with a big grin on his face.

I looked at the brick just outside the gate and then back at the electronics store, "The noise isn't loud enough though, if I can get outside I should be able to break the glass with that brick."

"Well, all we need to do is just need to open the gate so-"

I nodded toward the axe I placed up against the wall, "That's why I brought this." I stood up and placed the tip of the axe on the lock of the gate.

Doug widened his eyes, "You're going to break that lock with an axe?"

"That's the plan, yeah."

"Well, not trying to say it's a bad one but…" Doug stood up and moved my axe out of the way. He turned the combination lock around a few times and got it open, "Wouldn't it be a better plan to just unlock it?"

"I uhh…" _That's weird. I thought that they didn't have the code before. _

"I mean it might've worked before, but since we now know the code…"

"Wait, how do you know the code?"

"Oh, that new guy, Ruscoe? He told me that he found a piece of paper with the code written on it. He told me what it was."

"How did you know it was for the lock?" I asked.

"Call it an educated guess. You see that lock has-"

"It's okay Doug, I understand. I'll go and get the keys now."

"Okay…"

I quickly grabbed the brick and threw it at the electronic store's window. It crashed through and the static from the TV's was now really loud and attracted the Walkers' attention.

"Be sure to be very quiet. Don't be surprised if I… talk to the dead guy first…"

Doug nodded silently, his face somewhat showing that he understood what I was talking about it. He opened his mouth to talk, "Don't be too long okay… I know things like this can be hard but… we don't know how long we have until those guys realize that they can't chow down on television sets."

I nodded at Doug and ran over to my brother, who was still stuck under the lamppost. He turned his gaze to me and growled, reaching for me. _I'm gonna have to stop thinking that I can handle things like this a second time. _Seeing my own brother in that state felt devastating the first time… The second time is no different. I still had to deal with him but all that could go through my head was my childhood. The time we spent together. The pranks we'd play on each other.

I raised the axe above my head, staring down at him, "I'm sorry you have to go through this again… I'll be quick this time… I promise…" I then brought the axe down onto his head and I very loud crunch. His skull was cracked and the exposed part of, what looked like, his brain was mashed up. He wasn't getting back up again.

I kneeled down and grabbed the keys to the pharmacy from his pocket and then waved over at Doug. He gestured for me to get over there fast. I looked at the Walkers by the TVs and they were, thankfully, still distracted. I made my way back, quietly, and went inside the drugstore. Doug put the padlock back on the gate and then followed me inside.

Standing inside the drugstore I took a deep breath. The event that was about to take place would lead to someone's death. The plan was to, once we got Larry's pills and the Walkers attack, have Clementine save Carley whilst I save Doug. But now that Ruscoe was here so I had no idea what would happen next. _For all I know he may get into trouble or get someone else killed or…_

I shook my head and strolled over to Lilly, "I've got the keys."

She looked at me and stood up, smiling, "Great! God you're amazing. Let's get in there."

We walked into the office and I stared at the door to the pharmacy. I cautiously walked up to it, got the keys out and braced myself for what was about to happen. _This has to play out like before… At least up until Carley and Doug—_

"Lee, what are you waiting for?" Lilly asked.

"Oh… umm… nothing." I replied shoving the key into the lock. I turned the key and opened the door. We both walked inside when, suddenly, the alarm sounded. _Here we go_. I looked at Lilly, "Get his medicine, as much of it as you can, we're leaving!"

Lilly stared at me, "What?"

"That sound you're hearing is the dinner bell for those things. We don't have long until they get in."

"O-okay! I understand."

I ran into the shop and looked around. Everyone was panicked; the Walkers were banging against the windows, trying to get in. I walked over to Clementine, "You okay, Clem?"

"…I'm scared." Clem said, looking down.

"Don't be, we've lived through this once already."

Clem nodded her head, "O-okay…"

"You remember the plan right?"

"Yeah."

Katjaa crouched down and spoke calmly to her son, "Duck, c'mon baby, time to go."

Kenny yelled out to everyone, "I'm gonna get the truck pulled up 'round back."

Lilly was getting her father up, "Do it fast. I've got to get my dad out of here."

"I don't plan on dilly-dallying." Kenny then turned to Katjaa and Duck, "Honey, take Duck into the office and barricade the living hell out of the door behind me. Glenn, when you hear me honking in the alley, start getting people out of here."

Glenn nodded, "You got it."

"Doug, Ruscoe, Carley and Lee, you guys make sure our defences stay up 'til then. And Lee, I better take that axe, in case I run into any of them on the way to my truck."

"Here you go." I tossed Ruscoe's axe over to Kenny.

"Wait, what will we use to defend ourselves if they get in?" Ruscoe asked Kenny.

Kenny stopped by the office door, "I won't take long and if need be, Carley still has her gun. Don't worry, I'll get back as fast as I can."

Suddenly there was a rattling of metal heard outside the doors. Doug starred at the doors with his guard up, "The gate's still locked, we should be fine."

"Bro! Don't jinx." Ruscoe looked at Doug, afraid.

Suddenly from behind us, Katjaas voice called out, "Glenn, we need your help! Please hurry."

Glenn ran off into the office and I went and stood next to Carley, Doug and Ruscoe. Carley loaded a new magazine into her gun. Doug was standing next to a shelf we put up against a broken window when, suddenly, it fell. "Oh crap!" the shelf fell right in front of Doug and then Walkers started falling in.

"Oh shit!" Carley took out her gun and fired at the walkers trying her best not to hit Doug. When it was clear enough, she ran over to him, "I got this."

Doug nodded and ran back over to me when suddenly there was another crashing noise, "That window is screwed!"

"Go!" I yelled at Doug and he ran over to the broken window and tried to get it patched up. I looked over at Clementine, "Clementine get me a weapon or… just something I can use as a weapon, okay?"

Clementine nodded, "Okay! I think I know what to get."

Clem ran into the office to get something and I got myself ready for what was about to happen. I turned my head to talk to Ruscoe, "Rus-"

Ruscoe was nowhere to be seen, and Clementine hadn't come back from the office yet. I heard a loud yell come from both Doug and Carley. Carley had run out of ammo and was reaching for her purse which had ammo inside whilst Doug was being pulled by Walkers at one of the boarded windows. I looked around and couldn't see Ruscoe or Clementine.

I had to think quickly, I had only a few seconds left to save one person. My heart rate increased and I was about to dash for one of them when I heard Clementine scream out my name. _Clementine!?_


	8. Chapter 4 - Besieged (Part 2)

Chapter 4– Besieged

**Part 2**

I closed my eyes tightly. Without thinking, I darted over to Carley's purse and threw it at her doing a quick U-turn to get to Doug. The wooden boards broke but I was still able to grab hold of Doug before he was pulled out. I saw a Walker about to take a chunk out of his shoulder and punched it in the face before it could take the bite.

"Doug, you need to work with me here!" I yelled, trying to free him.

"I-I'm trying to get loose, they won't let go!" Doug shouted, trying to pull his arms away.

I heard two gunshots come from behind me and saw Carley with three dead Walkers around her, "Carley we need your-"

I stopped, midsentence, when I heard a ripping sound. I looked at my sleeve and saw a Walker biting into it and tearing the cloth away. Thankfully, it managed to avoid getting any flesh. Carley ran up to us and helped pull Doug back. I heard a distinct fleshy cracking noise and we all fell backwards. I looked at Doug's arm, he had a severed hand still holding onto it tightly, "Aaah!" Doug let out a small yell when he saw it.

_We got seriously lucky.. Now I need to find Clementine_. We all stood up and I turned around. Standing right in front of me was an armless man with his gums showing decayed teeth inset into rotten flesh. He opened his jaw, torn flaps of flesh showing a full set of lower teeth, when he was suddenly struck down by something. I saw the Walker fall right next to me and noticed that my Dad's cane was sticking out the back of its head. I looked to where the Walker was standing and saw Clementine, huffing and puffing.

"Clem! A-are you alright?" I asked, desperately.

"Uh huh." Clem nodded.

"W-what happened?"

Clementine didn't say anything. She just looked towards the office door. I followed her gaze and saw that Ruscoe was standing there, next to Larry. Larry had the usual spiteful look on his face whilst Ruscoe's face showed almost no emotion. I didn't have too much time to worry about what happened to Clementine, Walkers were still pouring in. I grabbed my Dad's cane and we all left the Drugstore.

When we arrived at the Motor Inn, there were still a few Walkers shambling about, _seeing as I didn't join Carley and Glenn they must've not been able to clear out the place._ We managed to take care of them but I was surprised at what else we found. In one of the rooms, on the upper level, we found a young woman who had recently turned into a Walker. What was significant was the fact that, the first time, this woman used Carley's gun to commit suicide. Since she was still locked in her room I could only assume that Glenn wasn't able to get to her.

Lilly and Larry started getting rid of the bodies, Glenn left a few minutes ago for Atlanta, Carley was talking to Doug and Ruscoe, Kenny and his Wife were unloading things from their pickup and Clementine and Duck were talking about some cartoon, I think.

I walked over to Kenny and he smiled at me, "Hey, man. Look I don't know what to say-"

"It's okay, Ken, you don't have to say anything." I said, raising my hand.

"Well… I'm just glad that somebody's managed to keep his priorities straight."

"What do you mean?"

"Looking out for your fellow man. Despite having a little girl to protect, you still gave me the benefit of the doubt when Larry thought I was bitten. I mean look at me, I'm still covered in blood. Not surprised the old man thought I was gonna turn."

"He was still out of line, though."

"Yeah. No denying that. Well anyway, all I really wanted to say, I guess, was thank you. It's nice to know there's someone watching my back."

"No problem, Ken. What are friends for?"

"Friends, huh? Yeah. Well, Lee, I'll be sure to repay you in kind. I've got your back, no matter what happens."

"Thanks, Ken."

Kenny looked at Clementine and Duck, "You got a strong one right there. I was worried that a sweet little girl like that would get ruined by all this but she's strong. She even managed to save you back in the store. Can't say that Duck would do the same thing." Kenny said, chuckling slightly.

I smiled at him, "Anyway, man, I better check on the others and see how they're doing."

"Don't let me keep you."

I strolled away from Kenny to Clementine. I needed to ask her about what happened at the drugstore. Despite her being able to rescue me… again, she screamed my name out only a few moments before. Duck was still blabbering onto her about something. I looked at him, "Hey Duck, You want to cool it for a minute?"

"Okay, sorry." Duck said walking over to his mother.

I kneeled down to Clem's height, "Hey, Sweat pea."

"Hi…" Clem replied, in a very monotonous voice.

"What's wrong? What happened back there in the drugstore." I asked her calmly.

Again Clementine stayed silent and looked over to Ruscoe. That was it, I knew that he had something to do with her screaming my name._If he somehow hurt her, I will never forgive him. I don't care who he is, I will not stand for that_. I stood up and marched over to Ruscoe.

Ruscoe was talking to Doug and Carley, when he saw me coming towards him, his smile faded. I opened my mouth to speak, "What did you do back at the drugstore?"

Doug and Carley both decided to walk away quietly once they heard the stern tone in my voice. Ruscoe raised his eyebrows, "Well, I ate some kinda energy bar. Uhhh… Gave you my axe. Erm…"

"Don't be a smartass, just tell me what happened when the Walkers attacked."

"Gee, I dunno man. It was crazy as all hell. When Clementine left for the office I ended up following her and-"

"What did you do to her?"

"Dude, don't fucking be mad. I made sure that she was safe."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well the drugstore was filling with those 'Walkers' and you might not have survived. I thought about her well-being and decided to not let her get back into shop, despite her struggling. Larry also agreed with me that I should hold her back."

I looked at Ruscoe dead in the eyes, "If you touch that girl ever again, I will kill you, you understand? I won't fucking hesitate."

Ruscoe frowned at me, "She's a little girl, dude. Not some super hero."

"She's not a little girl."

"What?"

"She's human. The world is ending and as much as I want to, I can't baby her. She's already learned what it takes to survive. Learned what happens if you don't think things through."

Ruscoe looked at me angrily and forced an apology, "Okay, you're right. She did get lucky and save you from that Walker after all. I'm sorry, I tried to stop a little girl… sorry, human girl from being eaten by a bunch of dead folk."

"Good." I said with my arms crossed.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I got some shit to do." Ruscoe started walking away.

"Like what?" I asked.

Ruscoe threw his arms up into the air, "Just some shit, dude!"

Carley and Doug came back over once Ruscoe was gone. "What was that about?" Carley asked.

"Back at the drugstore, He grabbed Clementine." I replied to Carley.

"R-really? W-was he trying to protect her?" Doug said, widening his eyes.

I ignored what Doug said, "It's okay though. I'm sure he'll never do it again. Because if he does…"

"I think it'd best for you to calm down, Lee." Carley said.

"Yeah, we can't exactly have a rouge elephant stomping through the group." Doug said, looking at me worried.

"What?" Me and Carley reacted, simultaneously.

"I… don't really know what I meant by that either." Doug scratched the back of his head.

"Well, Lee, don't worry. If I see Ruscoe doing anything like that again, I'll deal with him personally." Carley gave me a smile.

I stared at both Doug and Carley,_ I remember Doug telling me that he liked Carley, and Carley telling me that she liked Doug… If that's the case then, I should probably back off… I know that before, I started to like her but it was not the time or the place for me… And if she likes Doug then.. I don't want to get in the way of anything._

"Lee," Carley said, "Clementine is lucky to have someone like you to look out for her."

"Yeah." Doug said, nodding.

"Thanks, guys. I appreciate it."

"Well, anyway you probably have some other things to do so we won't keep you." Carley said, looking at me. I turned around and started to walk towards Clementine. I kneeled down again, "Hey Clem."

She looked at me, "Hi."

"So I talked to Ruscoe and he told me what happened. I can't say what he did was right, but I can kind of understand him."

"What did he say?"

"He said that he was trying to protect you, because you're still little."

Clem frowned, "I'm not little. I'm 9." She then widened her eyes and looked to her side, "Umm… 8."

"It's okay Clem. You're strong. Maybe not in your arms but you're strong, here" I said pointing at her head. She giggled slightly and I asked, "What is it?"

"I thought you were talking about my hair."

I smiled at her, unsure of why she would think that._ Oh wait, does she mean she still wants the haircut?_ "You still want that haircut, Clem?"

"Yes please." Clem smiled at me.

"Well, okay then. Let's see if we can give your hair a little trim."

We both stood up. Clementine grabbed my hand and we walked over to the room we'd be staying in. Even though in a few months everything would supposedly go to hell, I saved Doug and Carley. _No one had to die today. If I can do that now then, maybe I can save Mark, Larry and all those people who lost their lives too. But that's a ways away yet. _All I knew is that me and Clem had to be prepared. In the meantime, however, we just enjoyed each other's company and cherished these moments of peace.


	9. Chapter 5 - Familiar Faces (Part 1)

[Note from Author]

Hi, I just wanted to put in a quick apology to all of you who have waited for this part. A lot of stuff happened during the end of the year and I am happy to announce it has almost cleared up. I will say, however, that I won't be releasing daily like I did when I started. Instead I'll be taking small breaks so I don't burn myself out. Anyway, hope you enjoy the first part of chapter 5 and look forward to the rest of volume 2 of 'Lee's Second Chance'.

[End of Note]

**CHAPTER 5 - Familiar Faces**

**PART 1**

Mark and I walked through the woods as crows around us squawked loudly. Mark was looking around, squinting, trying to look for anything that could be used as a meal. I kept on walking down the path. I knew where we had to go. Three months had passed since time turned back and I had stopped caring about how or why and already accepted the fact that I was here. All I truly cared about was that now I had the chance to stop many tragic events from happening. I had already tested this out at the drugstore when I managed to save both Doug and Carley. Originally one of them was supposed to die but in a moment of insanity I was able to get them both to safety.

That and the arrival of Ruscoe had shown me that things were able to change. However, Ruscoe's existence still perplexed me. I never really thought to ask him any questions about who he was and how he got into Macon. I just accepted the fact that he was there and carried on. I still had to look out for Clementine. She's the only other person who was able to remember what happened in the past timeline… But I didn't know why. That was a mystery that I believed would be best left alone. To me it was a miracle that she remembered. Whilst there were many painful memories from the past time, it had definitely hardened her. Pry too much into a miracle and god only knows what you'll find.

"Hey, Lee?" I heard Mark say.

I turned towards him and saw an expression of confusion on his face. I hadn't told Mark where we were headed and that I knew that we wouldn't actually be hunting today. "What is it?" I asked Mark turning back around.

Mark hesitated, "You… err… see anything?"

"Nah, just greenery… Not sure if I could call it that, though." I replied, sticking to the path whilst staring at the brown leaves in the trees.

Mark sighed, "Damnit… Maybe all that hunting we did the past few weeks scared all the wildlife away?"

"If anything I don't think that _we_would be the ones to scare the wildlife away."

"Yeah… right… Plenty of other scary things around now, huh?" He took a short pause, "Still, I was surprised."

"At what?" I asked him.

"At the fact that you were able to work out how long that commissary food would last us. If you hadn't suggested that we start hunting for food as well, I think we'd be starving to death right about now."

"I'm pretty sure that if I didn't suggest it, Lilly would've."

"Yeah but if it were her way we wouldn't get any food. Instead it'd all go to Larry."

"Hey, now." I said, turning my head back to him.

"Sorry… It's just that… I mean she's a good leader and all but sometimes I feel like she doesn't care about us. I mean we barely get rations in the morning. We usually have to wait until we catch and cook something before _we_can eat."

"The kids need to eat to. If I was handling the morning rations I'd probably be feeding Duck and Clem first as well."

"Yeah, I can understand that but what about Larry? He's got enough food stored in him to last the winter. He's like a squirrel hole ready for hibernation."

"Well, he is getting old. Plus he has a heart condition."

"Sure he has a heart condition but he doesn't half bring that on himself. Last night all I heard was him yelling at Kenny… and didn't he punch you in the face one time."

I grimaced, "Yeah… He did." I looked at Mark, "But that's in the past now. I'm sure that Larry was just… getting to know me."

"By punching you in the face?" Mark asked, looking at me curiously.

"Some people have weird ways of saying hello."

"Yeah? Well I'm glad that your way of saying hello is less punch in the face and more saving me from an army of the dead."

Mark smirked at me and I smiled back. I went silent again as I turned my attention to finding what we came out it here for. _It should be around here somewhere_. I was looking for a bear trap somewhere in the woods; the same bear trap that led us to meet Ben, his teacher and his friend Travis. Mark and I were originally alerted by a man screaming. We went to investigate the noise and found Ben and his friend Travis trying to free their teacher who was caught in a modified bear trap. The trap had no release button so I ended up having to chop off the Teacher's Leg. Travis, in shock, threw up and got jumped by a few walkers. Their teacher, Mr. Parker, later bled to death. _If I can change this much already, I should be able to stop Mr. Parker from getting himself caught in that trap. _

"So Lee." Mark said.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"Where are we headed?"

I hesitated, thinking of something to say, and ended up replying, "Somewhere…"

"Gee… that's… specific."

"Just trust me on this."

Mark smiled, "Don't worry, Lee. I will. You know, since the first day I met you, you've always seemed to have things figured out. Like you knew what was going to happen next."

"Really?"

Mark chuckled, "Yeah. I mean I'm not complaining. If you can see into the future then that's a one up for the survivors."

We found a patch of clear land, with only a few clumps of grass here and there. I looked to a rusted object that was concealed behind a small patch of grass. I grabbed a large stick that was lying on the ground and used it to carefully push the grass out of the way. Straight away I could see the teeth. It was definitely the bear trap.

"Hey, Lee? Did you find something?" Mark asked, walking over to me.

"Yeah… I did. I found a-" I was cut off as I pushed the stick down into the wrong place. There was a loud clanking sound as the trap's teeth came together with great speed. The stick broke in half.

Mark and I stayed quiet. The noise was loud but probably not loud enough to attract Walkers. We exchanged looks and then I slowly stood up. Suddenly there was a rustling in the bushes. Mark quickly raised his rifle and aimed at the bushes. I looked at him and saw that he was putting his finger on the trigger.

"Mark, wait." I whispered.

Mark looked at me and furrowed his brows. He then sighed and lowered his weapon, waiting for whatever was in the bushes to come out. Suddenly a young man with light brown hair fell out of the bush, face first.

"O-ow!" He yelled, pushing himself up.

Suddenly we heard another young man from behind bushes. He said in a hushed voice, "Be quiet Ben! If you make too much noise those things might find us again."

The first young man stood up, hunched over slightly. When he saw us his face suddenly showed an expression of shock. I returned the same look as I realized who I was staring at. It was Ben. Suddenly remembering back to the original timeline, all I could see was Ben and Kenny's demise. My heart raced as I looked at him and without thinking I said, "B-ben?"

Ben didn't return any response. Suddenly the other young man came out of the bushes supporting an older man who had a beard and chestnut hair. These two were Travis and Mr. Parker. They stopped and stared at us, with fear in their eyes.

Mark took his left hand off of the grip on his rifle and raised it slowly, "Umm… Hi." He said with an uneasy smile.

I took a good look at Mr. Parker. He was panting, and he looked like he was in a great deal of pain. Ben looked at Travis and then looked back us, desperately. He then said, frantically, "Oh, thank god! Please, you have to hel-"

"Ben! Be quiet. I know how to handle this."

I glanced over to Mark, who looked at me and then shrugged.

Travis looked at Ben and nodded his head at Mr. Parker. Ben then took Parker's shoulder as Travis took a step forward, "L-look, we're harmless. Just turn around and walk away and… pretend you never saw us."

"Travis!" Ben said, widening his eyes. "They could help-"

"Ben! What if these guys are the ones who raided our camp and…" Travis looked at Mr. Parker's leg which had blood oozing out of a bullet wound. _He's been shot? When did that happen? _I thought to myself.

"Hey, Travis is it?" I said raising my hands, "We don't mean any harm. We're survivors, just like you."

"Just like _them? _" Travis said with a snarl.

"Them?" Mark said, glancing over to me.

"Travis, I think we can trust them!" Ben yelled.

"We can't trust anybody Ben. For all we know this guy could be a murderer!" Travis said pointing at me.

"I'm… I'm not a murderer. And neither is he." I tried to calm them down.

Suddenly Mr. Parker spoke with a kind yet pained tone, "T-travis?"

Travis looked at Mr. Parker, and went over to him, "Y-yes sir?"

Mr. Parker stared at us and then looked back to Travis and said, as a drop of sweat rolled down his forehead, "Just… shut up." And with that, he passed out.

"Mr. Parker!" Travis yelled.

"What's wrong with him!?" I yelled lowering my hands and running over to them.

"I-I dunno! He was just… just!" Travis yelled back.

"He was shot in the leg!" Ben stated.

I looked at Mark and it seemed that he wanted to say something but couldn't bring himself to. I ignored his expression and grunted as I said to Mark, "Grab him. We're taking him back."

"But Lee, what if he's bitten?" Mark said.

"He's not bitten. He'll be fine as long as we get someone to clean up this wound."

Mark stared at me in slight disbelief, "W-whatever you say Lee."

Mark picked Mr. Parker up and carried him on his back. We started to make our way back to the Motor Inn. _Well it's better than a missing Leg, at least._


	10. Chapter 5 - Familiar Faces (Part 2)

[Note from Author]

Hello, again. Sorry the wait again but I had some things come up during the writing process of this part and I've had it here for a bit just never really read over it as many times as I would've liked. Either way, here it is, CH5 P2. Please enjoy and I apologize for both the wait and the quality of this particular chapter.

Enjoy.

[End of Note]

CHAPTER 5 – Familiar Faces Part 2

We ran through the woods. The whole time all I could think about was getting Parker to Katjaa. _I'm not entirely sure if he passed out from blood loss or an infection in the bullet wound. Either way, if I could save his life and increase our numbers…_

"Hey, where are we going? You're not taking us anywhere suspicious are you!?" Travis asked, staring at me.

"Suspicious? No, we're taking you to a nearby Motel. We have a group stationed there. And the name's Lee. Not 'Hey'." I replied.

I took a look at Mark who seemed to be struggling slightly with Parker. Mark didn't say his name so I decided to introduce him, "And he's Mark."

Mark looked at Travis and Ben and said, whilst panting, "H-how's… How's it goin'"

Ben spoke, "I'm Ben. Ben Paul. He's Travis."

Travis scowled at Ben. Ben looked at Travis for a minute and then tilted his head downward. _Aren't these two friends? _

Ben continued and nodded at Parker, "A-and he's Mister Parker. He's our band director."

I saw an opening in the trees and started to slow down to a steady pace. Whilst walking, Travis and Ben continued to tell me and Mark their story.

Travis, seemingly less aggravated, "We all came from Stone Mountain."

"Stone Mountain? The High School?" Mark asked, turning his head slightly.

"Y-yeah. There were more of us but…" Ben trailed off.

"They're all dead. We're the only ones left. There… There were so many of us… If only we still had everyone to fight those guys." Travis said.

Mark looked at them, slightly confused, then turned his head back to me and raised an eyebrow. I shook my head in a dismissive way and went to the opening. I walked out onto the tarmac road just outside the Motel. I waved my arms up at Lilly, who was sitting on top of a large RV.

Lilly was having us take turns watching over the road and forest leading to the Motor Inn. Every few hours one of us was picked to sit atop the RV. We'd get given a chair, for relaxing, and a rifle, for protecting. Whoever was up there was then in charge of alerting anyone of any 'Suspicious activity'.

"Get the gates open Lilly!" I said, loudly and calmly.

Lilly showed a faint smile as she stood up from her chair. Suddenly the smile faded away as she saw Mark come out of the trees with Parker, Ben and Travis. She then shook her head and climbed down from the RV.

I walked over to the dumpsters we were using as 'gates' and pushed them out of the way. Everyone started to gather around as Mark walked in with Parker. Clementine ran up to me, "Are you okay?"

I knelt down to speak to her, "Yeah, Clem. I'm fine."

Katjaa stared at me, "Lee, what happened?"

Katjaa was standing next to Kenny's pickup. Mark walked over to the pickup with Parker and placed him down. Travis and Ben walked in visibly nervous and unsure of what to do. Clem looked at them for a second, and then looked back at me. I nodded my head and Clementine nodded hers. She then walked over to Ben and Travis and started talking to them. _Clementine took Ben away from everyone and had him play with her and Duck the first time. I'm not entirely sure what'll happen next but having those two out of the way will make things easier and clearer. _

Clementine grabbed Ben's hand and pulled him over. Travis frowned and crossed his arms, following.

I stood up and looked at Katjaa, "We found these guys out in the woods. One of them has been shot but other than that they seem to be alright… Well alright as you can be after losing your whole entire class to those things."

"Wow, I hope this isn't dinner." Doug said, walking over with Carley.

"Well with the right seasoning, I'm sure they'd taste just like chicken." Carley said, rather comically.

"I'm pretty sure if we were to eat people, they'd taste like pork more than anything else, Carley." Mark added, seriously.

"Are we seriously having this discussion?" I said to him.

Mark suddenly looked uneasy.

"Mark? Is something wrong?" I asked him.

"Huh? Nothing… It's… I just felt like someone walked over my grave."

"Guh… I hate that." Carley said.

I turned around to see where Lilly was and saw her standing quite closely, arms crossed and expression angry. Larry was standing next to her.

"Hey, Lilly." I said, raising my hand to say hi.

"Lee… What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Lending a helping hand." I said, straight forwardly.

"There's a difference between giving a "helping hand" and bringing people back without any reason."

"Lilly, they needed our help. That's enough reason" Mark said.

"We're not responsible for everyone trying to survive out there. We have to look out for ourselves!"

"So what? You want to throw them out?" I asked.

"No I-"

I frowned at Lilly, "No, go ahead. Let's throw them out, one with a leg wound, the other two practically being kids. We'll just throw them out and pretend that we didn't give them a death sentence."

Larry looked at me, "Hmph. Now you're thinking logically."

Lilly stared at her dad, "Dad… why don't you get back to working on the fence?"

Larry let out a small grunt and walked over to the fence.

"I should probably help out…" Mark said looking at me. He then joined Larry in working on the fence.

Lilly placed her hand on her forehead and sighed, "I guess there's no helping it. But bare this in mind. The more people we get, the more people we need to feed. They may be young but talk to those two about hunting and keeping watch. That is if they're planning to stay."

I turned to look toward both Ben and Travis who were currently idly standing around. I turned back to Lilly, "I don't think they'll be wanting to leave anytime soon."

There was a brief moment of silence until Lilly asked, "Where's Kenny?"

"Most likely, still out there hunting with Ruscoe. And seeing as we didn't catch anything it'd be good if _they_ could." I replied.

"Okay… I'll get back on watch. Remember to talk to those kids. Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay."

Lilly walked back over to the RV and got on top of it. I then looked at Clementine who was standing behind me. I looked at her hair quickly. A few months back I cut her hair and tied the remaining pieces back into pigtails. Now her hair had grown out and the pigtails had become huge.

"Lee?" Clementine said.

"What is it sweet pea?" I asked.

Clementine glanced over to Katjaa and Parker. I knew straight away what she was thinking, "Don't worry. He won't die."

Clementine looked at me, with a somewhat hopeful expression, "Really?"

"Yeah, really." I smiled to reassure her. "It's just a small bullet wound; Katjaa will be able to fix him up in no time."

Clementine smiled and swayed slightly. She was obviously happy.

"What's with you, honey?" I asked.

"Everyone's a lot happier than before."

"Yeah… We're eating regularly. No one's starving. Nobody has died yet. If we keep being careful, I'm sure that everything will turn out okay… well, okay as it can be in this situation."

Suddenly from behind us I heard a loud ringing, _Isn't that Doug's alarm system? But who could it… _

End of Chapter 5 – Familiar Faces To be continued in Chapter 6 - Confrontation 


End file.
